Toy gun



J. B. FISHER Dec. 27, 1932.

TOY GUN Filed March 25. 1932 INVENTOR Patented Dec. 27, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JOSEPH 1B. FISHER, OF STRATHMQRE, CALIFORNIA 'roY GtrN Application filed March 25, 1932. Serial No. 601,120.

This invention relates to toy firearms which employ stretched rubber bands as the missiles, such for instance as is shown in my Patent No. 1,7 5,215, dated February 25,

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simplified form of band holding and releasing mechanism so arranged that only a single movable member is employed, thereby greatly reducing manufacturing and assembling costs. Also the loading of the gun with the bands is a much simpler matter than was the case with the structure of the previous patent and thus the 5 new gun is more suitable for the use of children, for which it is of course intended.

These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawing similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly broken out .25 showing the gun partly loaded and ready to be fired.

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the trigger as pulled and afterone band has been discharged. 7

Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the trigger as re-cocked after the discharge of a band.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of the gun showing the band holding membe partly broken away.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawing, the gun in the present instance is shown as being of the pistol or revolver type and it is preferably formed of a pair of pressed metal 0 vertically abutting halves of a size and'shape simulating that of an actual revolver. This body thus comprises a barrel 1, a stock 2, and a handle 3. The body members are provided at suitably spaced points along their abutting edges with engaging flanges or ears as at 4:,

which simulate the sights etc. of the firearm and are spot welded together. The body sections are further secured together by a screw r 5 through the handle 3. The barrel at its front end has a notch or depression 6 therein forming a seat for the missile bands 7 at one end.

The'stock portion of the gun is provided with a slot 8 extending from top to bottom in which a plate 9 is mounted, the plate forming the band supporting release and trigger member of the gun. It projects be low the stock headof the handle and is there provided with an opening 10 to engage a finger and form a trigger. The plate also projects above the stock and is formed along its upper edge with a row of upstanding lugs 11 having a rearward slant. Rearwardly of the row of lugs the upper edge of the plate is formed with a re-cocking hammer 12. The lugs follow a circular path which is centered approximately at the trigger opening 10. These difierent lugs form the supports for the adjacent ends of a corresponding number of bands 7 which are stretched so as to extend to the front of the barrel. Said bands there engage the notch 6 in overlapping relation to each other with the band of the foremost lug outermost, or in' front.

Mounted in the stock and projecting across the slot 8 in longitudinally spaced relation are pins 13. 1 These pins ride in a slot 14 formed in the plate 9 below the lugs, said slot following a circular pathconcentric with that of the lugs. The bottom periphery of the slot is shaped so as to form a plurality of evenly spaced depressions 15 alternating with forwardly sloping projections 16, making in efiect a ratchet structure. The upper periphery of said slot is formed as a plurality of concave guide surfaces to the same numher as the projections 16 and symmetrically disposed relative thereto.

The spacing of the pins relative to that of the ratchet depressions is such that when the foremost pin is in a depression the rear pin is on top of a projection 16 or intermediate adjacent depressions, as shown in Fig. 1. vVhen the rear pin is seated in a depression r the forward pin engages a projection near the top but on its rear side, as shown in Fig. 2.

. In operation after the gun has been loaded with its full quota of bands, or as many as b may be desired, the plate 9 is held from unintentional movement by the forward pull of the stretched hands. This pull tends to rotate the plate forwardly about the forward pin 13 as an axis, which pin is seated in a depression 15. The rear pin is then located between one of the projections 16 and the top of the slot, preventing such rotative tendency of the plate from becoming effective. When the trigger is pulled by a finger in the opening 10 the forward end of the slot 14 and the adjacent projection 16 are moved down relative to the forward pin, the plate then rocking for an instant on the rear pin as an axis. The pull of the bands then imparts a forward movement to the upper portion of the plate, which causes the rear pin to be located in a depression back of but adjacent its initial position, thus checking further forward movement of the plate. At the same time the forward pin assumes a position adjacent the top of the slot 14 just back of the peak of the adjacent projection. The foremost band engaging lug 11 is then below the top of the stock and is disposed with a slight forward slant causing the front band tobe discharged. The plate 9 is then in the position shown in Fig. 2 the pull of the remaining bands holding it in this positlon.

To re-cock the gun so as to place the plate 9 in a position corresponding to its original one and in position for the next band to be discharged by a pull on the trigger, the hammer 12 is depressed. This acts against the pull of the bands to lower the slot 14: relative to the rear pin so that said pin is relatively raised to the top of the slot and out of the depression in which it was previously seated. This permits the bands tc impart a forward movement to the plate to relatively shift the forward pin to the bottom of the adjacent rearward depression, again holding the plate against further forward movement. At this time the rear pin is positioned directly above a projection. The plate is then in the posi tion shown in Fig. 3 which, as will be seen, corresponds to the position in Fig. 1. In other words, the lug 11 for the band to be fired subsequent to the one already discharged is now in the position originally occupied by the lug of the first band, so that a depression or pull of the trigger will release the next band in the same way. After said next band has been discharged the gun is re-. cocked which again moves the plate forward the necessary distance to bring the succeed-' ing lug 11 in firing position.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

lVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a toy gun to shoot elastic bands, 2. vertical plate projecting through and movably mounted in the stock of the gun, upstanding lugs along the upper edge of the plate to engage individual bands at one end,

said bands being adapted to be stretched and engaged at the other end with the front end of the gun, a trigger element formed with the plate, and means between the stock and plate acting when the plate is in a cocked position and with the pulling pressure of the bands thereon, to hold the plate at its upper edge against forward movement but permitting such movement to a predetermined extent to take place upon the pulling of the; trigger, and causing the upper forward end of the plate and the adjacent lug to be pulled down.

2. A structure as in claim 1 in which said means also functions, with a retractive movement of the trigger, to cause the lug immediately to the rear of the one previously depressechto assume the position originally occupi ed by said one lug.

3. In a toy gun to shoot elastic bands, 9. vertical plate projecting through and movably mounted in the stock of the gun, upstanding lugs along the upper edge of the plate to engage individual bands at one end, said bands being adapted to be stretched and engaged at the other end with the front end of the gun, said lugs extending along a circular path concentric with that of a slot, and a pair of pins spaced lengthwise of the stock mounted therein and extending through the slot; the contour of said slot and the pins being arranged relative to each other so that when a band is stretched in place and the trigger element is in its normal position the plate is held against forward movement but when the trigger is pulled, the foremost lug will be lowered and the plate as a whole advanced a predetermined distance, and when the trigger is restored to its normal position, the plate will be further advanced and the succeeding lug will move to the same position originally occupied by the preceding one.

4. In a toy gun to shoot elastic hands, a vertical plate projecting through and movably mounted in the stock of the gun, up standing lugs along the upper edge of the plate-to engage individual bands at one end, said bands being adapted to be stretched and engaged at the other end with the front end of the gun, said lugs extending along a circular path convex relative to the top of the stock, a trigger element formed with the plate below the stock, said plate having a slot extending in a circular path concentric with that of the lugs, and a pair of pins spaced lengthwise of the stock mounted therein and extending through the slot, the bottom periphery of the slot being formed of a series of alternating pin-receiving depressions and projections over which the pins may pass; the arcuate spacing of the projections being the same as that of the lugs and the spacing of the pins being such that when the foremost pin is in the bottom of a depression, the rear pin is on top of a projection.

5. A structure as in claim 4, in which the top surface of the slot is in the form of a plurality of concave pin guiding surfaces symmetrically disposed relative to the proj ections below.

In testimony whereof I alfix my signature.

JOSEPH BENJ. FISHER. 

